Apparatus for removing and handling covers for converters or crucibles and for renewing the refractory lining



Feb. 17, 1970 P. PUXKANDL ET AL APPARATUS FOR REMOVING AND HANDLINGCOVERS FOR CONVERTERS OR CRUCIBLES AND FOR R Filed Feb. 11, 1965 ENEWINGTHE REFRACTORY LINING 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS: PETER PUXKANDL GUNgvERBAUERECKER TH EI'R AT'TORN EYS Feb. 17, 1970 PUXKANDL ET AL 3,495,812

APPARATUS FOR REMOVING AND HANDLING COVERS FOR CONVERTERS 0R CRUCIBLESAND FOR RENEWING THE REFRACTORY LINING Filed Feb. 11, 1965 Q 4Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS PETER PUXKANDL GUNAtIER BAUERECKERTHE-IRATTORNEYS Feb. 17, 1970 P, PUXKANDL ET AL 3,495,812

APPARATUS FOR REMOVING AND HANDLING COVERS FOR CONVERTERS on CRUGIBLESAND FOR RENEWING THE REFRACTORY mums Filed Feb. 11, 1965 4 Sheets-Sheets INVENTORS:

..PETER PUXKANDL GUNTHER BAUERECKER THEIR-ATTORNEYS "Feb.17,1970 4 RPUXKNDL 'ETAL 3,495,812

APPARATUS FOR REMOVING AND HANDLING COVERS FOR CONVERTERS OR. CRUCIBLESAND FOR RENEWING' THE REFRACTORY LINING Filed Feb. 11, 1965 4Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTORS: PETER PUXKANDL GUNgslER BAUERECKER MFEZLM TMTHEIR ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,495,812 APPARATUS FOR REMOVINGAND HANDLING COVERS FOR CONVERTERS OR CRUCIBLES AND FOR RENEWING THEREFRACTORY LINING Peter Puxkandl, Linz, and Giinther Bauerecker,Marchtreuk, Austria, assignors to Vereinigte Osterreichische EisenundStahlwerke Aktiengesellschaft, Linz, Austria, a company of Austria FiledFeb. 11, 1965, Ser. No. 431,875 Claims priority, application Austria,Feb. 13, 1964, A 1,217/64 Int. Cl. F27d 1/16; F27b 14/12; C21c /44 US.Cl. 266-1 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE There is disclosedapparatus for use with crucibles or converters to simplify relining. AU-shaped car is movable into and out of surrounding relationship to theconverter near its top to form a working platform around the converter.A frame for lifting and holding the converter cover is carried intoposition by the car, which withdraws with the cover. The cover isremoved and the car then returns to operative position with a reliningframe. After the refractory lining is replaced, the car is operated towithdraw the relining frame and return the cover.

This invention relates to an apparatus for removing and handling coversfor converters or crucibles and for renewing the refractory lining.

Crucibles and converters for refining processes and the like areprovided with a flue or fixtures through which the waste gases from theconverter are discharged or sucked oil. When relining is required, onlysmall converters can be moved on wheels out of the blowing station to aseparate relining station. It is not possible, as a rule, to erect acrucible in the range of a crane, by which the cover can be removed andthe refractory material for relining can be supplied, because the flueor other stationary fixture leaves no free space above the crucible.Thus, there is a desire in connection with mediumand large-sizeconverters provided with covers for an eflicient apparatus for removingand handling the cover and for an apparatus which enables a supply ofthe refractory material to the crucible, which remains in the blowingstation.

It is an object of the present invention to solve this problem. Theinvention is characterized by a U-shaped car, which is movable on a pathfrom the range of a crane outside the blowing station to the workingposition on the converter on the level of the top portion thereof, asegment member, which is detachably securable to the car and togetherwith the limbs and the base of the U- shaped car forms a workingplatform, which surrounds the crucible, a carrying frame, which is alsoU-shaped and adapted to be mounted on the car and to support the coverwhen the latter has been lifted, and a relining frame adapted to beconnected to the car.

The semicircular carrying frame may comprise two diametrically oppositemain trunnions and at right angles to them an auxiliary trunnion; thesetrunnions are adapted to be supported on appropriately arranged bearingbrackets on the car.

Hydraulic jacks spaced around the periphery of the converter arepreferably provided for lifting the cover. When the cover has beenlifted, these jacks enable the movement of the car to a position inwhich the carrying frame thereon is between the converter or crucibleand its cover.

The relining frame may comprise supports, which are adapted to bedetachably secured to the car, a track which is adapted to protrude intothe flue beyond the centre of the crucible, and means for lifting andhandling the refractory .material.

In the method according to the invention for relining convertersprovided with a cover, an auxiliary working platform consisting ofdetachable parts is formed around the top portion of the crucible belowthe peripheral joint between the mouth of the converter and the cover,the means for fastening the cover, such as screws or wedges, arereleased, the cover is lifted to a position from which it can be movedon a car into the range of a crane, the cover is lifted from the car andmoved to a separate relining station, and a working frame for supplyingrefractory material is mounted on the car :and moved to a workingposition above the mouth of the crucible.

An embodiment of the invention is shown more in detail by way of exampleon the drawing. FIGS. 1, 2, 4, 5, 6 and 7 are side elevations showingthe crucible and the relining apparatus according to the invention indifferent phases of the relining process. FIGS. 3 and 8 are top planviews illustrating also different phases of the lining process. FIG. 9is a top plan view showing the carrying frame.

With reference to the drawing, a cylindrical crucible 1 is provided witha cover 2, which is secured by holdingdown bolts 3 spaced around theperiphery. The stationary flue 4 is disposed above the opening 5 in thecover. The top portion 6 of the crucible 1 is frusto-conical and flankedby two tracks 7, which comprise rails 8. Recesses 9 formed by ribs andbrackets are provided around the periphery of the top portion 6 of thecrucible. Hydraulic jacks 10 (see FIGS. 2 and 5) can be inserted intothese recesses. A U-shaped car 12, which is movable on rollers 11, canbe moved by means of an existing crane from the area 13 outside theblowing station and placed onto the track 7, and by a drive mounted onthe car can be moved so closely to the crucible that the limbs 14 (FIG.3) embrace the crucible. A segment member 15 can be detachably securedto the limbs 14 of the car and may consist of two parts 15a and 15b,which can be swung to the position shown in FIG. 3. The base 16 of theU-shaped car, its two limbs 14 and the segment 15 form now an auxiliaryworking platform, which completely surrounds the top portion (FIGS. 2and 3) and can be walked upon to facilitate the release of the bolts 3and the application of the hydraulic jacks 10.. When the bolts 3 havebeen released and the cover has been lifted to define a gap having apredetermined Width h (FIG. 4), the auxiliary working platform isdismantled and the car 12 is moved into the range 13 of the crane.

A semicircular carrying frame 17 provided with diametrically opposedmain trunnions 18 and an auxiliary trunnion 19 is placed by the crane onthe car 12. The trunnions 18 are received by the bearing brackets 20 and21. The car 12 carrying the frame 17 is now moved back to the converter,as is shown in FIG. 5. The cover of the crucible is then lowered ontothe carrying frame 17 and the car is moved away from the crucible, as isshown in FIG. 6. The car picks up the carrying frame and the cover andmoves them to a relining station. The cover may be tilted with the aidof the carrying frame 17 to enable its relining from above or below.

FIG. 7 shows the next phase of the relining process. A relining framecomprising supports 22, 23 and the track 24 is secured to the car 12 andis moved to a working position above the centre of the converter. Alifting and handling means 25 is mounted on the track and serves forsupplying the refractory materials 26 from the platform adjacent to thefurnace.

What we claim is:

1. Apparatus for removing and handling covers for metallurgical vesselsand for renewing their refractory lining, comprising a U-shaped carwhich is movable on a path from the range of a crane disposed at adistance from said vessel to a working position on said vessel on thelevel of the top portion thereof, a segment member which is detachablysecurable to said car and together with the limbs and the base of saidcar forms a working platform which surrounds said vessel, a carryingframe which is also U-shaped and adapted to be mounted on said car andto receive said cover after the same has been lifted, and a reliningframe adapted to be connected to said car.

2. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the U- shaped carryingframe comprises two diametrically opposite main trunnions and at rightangles to them an auxiliary trunnion, said trunnions being adapted to besupported in appropriately disposed bearing brackets on the car.

3. Apparatus for removing and handling covers for metallurgical vesselsand for renewing their refractory lining, comprising hydraulic jacks forlifting said cover spaced around the periphery of said vessel, aU-shaped car which is movable on a path from the range of a cranedisposed at a distance from said vessel to a working position on saidvessel on the level of the top portion thereof, a segment member whichis detachably securrelining frame comprises supports which are adaptedto be detachably secured to the car, a track which is adapted toprotrude into the flue beyond the center of the vessel, and means forlifting and handling refractory material.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,933,918 4/1960 Arnold 266-43 X3,215,425 11/1965 Vogt 266-35 FOREIGN PATENTS 922,998 1963 GreatBritain.

J. SPENCER OVERHOLSER, Primary Examiner U.S. C1. X.R. 52749; 266-43

